Everyone here at Giz HQ is kind of Portal crazy at the moment, but it appears that we’re not the only ones. Kotaku reader Zoran sent Serrels over at Kotaku this handy guide to turning your boiled egg breakfast into a Portal turret. Just try and avoid the feeling of guilt as you consume its delicious, delicious internal circuitry. [Kotaku]
While there’s an inherent risk of having spams and scams attack, I can’t help but think that the visual effect totally makes it worth the risk of having these DIY Portals mounted on your wall… More »
Portal, iPhone, $2.49. A fullscreen web browser with an expanding radial menu.
Who’s it good for?Aesthetes. You want pretty? Portal is very pretty. Smooth menus, tasteful transitions. But it’s not just a gorgeous face – the minimalist menu system puts all of your commands (reload, forward, back, search, etc.) into a compact dot. Just hold it down, and it expands only so much as is necessary. Anyone wishing they had more iPhone browsing space will be pleased with the unobscured view.
Why’s it better than alternatives?The alternatives are, for the most part, crap. Most non-Safari iOS browsers are alternatives for the mere sake of being alternatives. They don’t have much in the way of allure. Sure, Portal is another browser, and it does pretty much exactly what Safari does – let you view websites on your phone. True. But the radial menu – which just sounds like a gimmick – is executed quite well. Add that to a bounty of visual flourishes (including the extremely awesome crosshair that locks onto in-page search queries), a bevy of search engines, stability, and speed.
How could it be even better?It’s a little buggy (I got stuck in the find mode). Most importantly, the hierarchical ordering of the radial menu could use a little shuffling. High priority browser buttons (like reload) should be closer to the centre than, say “browser actions” or tab management. As well, because of its extra features (multiple profiles, a “research mode” that highlights flagged topics), it isn’t the lean and mean app that Safari is.
Portal, iPhone [iTunes]
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It’s so simple; all you need is a mirror, some blue paint and a love for Valve’s masterpiece in virtual teleportation. More »
Attention all Australians. The spams and scams are coming through the portal. So you can prepare yourself appropriately, please view these images closely to learn what you’re up against… More »
Yesterday, Stephen Conroy warned us of the dangers of the spams and scams coming through the portal. Considering some of us were confused as to what that actually meant, imagine the confusion for the non-tech savvy. That’s why we’re going to help make the issue “clearer” with a little Photoshop contest. More »
